A blog dedicated to coverage and analysis of the Cubs and Bears, along with observations on other teams and random nonsense. Warning: Coverage is incomplete, analysis poor, and predictions typically wrong.
But love for the Boys in Blue and the Monsters of the Midway? You can count on that.

Friday, May 29, 2009

-First, I must say that I disagree with MLB's six-game suspension of Carlos Zambrano. Zambrano acted childish, no doubt, but Mark Carlson initiated the contact. Luckily, the Cubs have an off day Monday and Zambrano will simply start two days later (Thursday) than he would have were it not for the suspension.

-Can someone please tell me why the switch-hitting Andres Blanco keeps batting left-handed against left-handed pitchers? All four of his at-bats have been against lefties, yet he's batted lefty in his last three at-bats.

-While I've become more understanding of Soriano batting leadoff, it's a damn shame that he can't be asked to bunt. Trailing 2-1 with runners at first and second and nobody out in the eighth, he faked as if to bunt on the first pitch and then quickly struck out swinging on two breaking balls outside. With Theriot on deck, a bunt would have put the Cubs in a great position to at least tie the game.

-You've gotta tip your hat to Randy Wells: seven innings, two runs against the highest scoring team in the majors. He also struck out seven and walked just one. He's kept the Cubs in every game he's pitched, and his ERA is a sparkling 1.80. I still think Piniella will have to move him to the 'pen when Harden returns from the DL (which, by the way, could still be a couple weeks away, according to the Tribune), but hopefully Wells can translate his success into a relief role.

-Raise your hand if, when the season started, you predicted that on May 28, Bobby Scales and Jake Fox would come up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth with a chance to win the game.

3 comments:

slight correction about Soriano and bunting. When he came up to bat, there were NO outs. This means that a successful bunt would have put runners on second and third with only one out. Which would mean at least two chances for a hit to tie (or go ahead).

Thanks for the correction. That's what I meant: putting runners at second and third with no one out means Theriot would pretty much just have to put the bat on the ball in order to get a run home. You wouldn't ask Soriano to bunt with one out. Thanks!

About Me

I grew up in Wadsworth, Ill., a northeast suburb of Chicago, and have been a die hard (and we do die hard, every year) Cubs fan ever since my mom took me away from a day of preschool to bring me to Wrigley Field. I follow them--and sports in general--way more closely than can be considered healthy, and I'm sharing my obsession with you.